I hold nothing to be self-evident except (perhaps) my own self.
Huh. Just looked the list up. I’m on board for 4 outa 10.
I believe no human knows what happens before life, or after death.
Could there be something? Perhaps. But no organized religion has any insight or clue.
Humans are pretty stupid. On one hand, we look to the skies and want to find/meet aliens, but on the other hand, we can’t even communicate with other life forms on earth.
So far, science has proven the best bet: evolution has shown us how the human form can and might continue to evolve; slowly we are kind of figuring out how to fix/maintain the human body and keep us alive longer; very slowly we are starting to get a hint about the universe; with any luck, we might even be able to save the planet and figure out how to control the environment.
There will always be those who go off and hide in some building and mutter strange phrases for lack of any better idea. But there will be others who do something constructive and proactive - doing research and discovering new science and technology that actually makes a difference and perhaps will answer many questions we have.
In other words, I think the “good book” in a few hundred years will be a science book that deals with something called facts. That will be something to believe in.
Indeed it does. My intent was to illustrate that atheists hold a variety of beliefs, and that atheism is not itself a belief system, for the benefit of pchaos in particular, who seemed determined to define an atheist philosophy.
I believe there is an objective reality.
I believe the only reliable way to know anything about that reality is to observe it.
I believe it is important for one’s beliefs to correspond to reality.
Hey Human Action,
You’re a sweetheart, I didn’t know this thread was partially for me.
Guys,
I even have a theme song for us. How about John Lennon’s Imagine…now all we need are some coherent ideas to go with it. Also, we need a word to describe what we are trying to do.
I believe it best you sit this one out and just listen for once, after the mess you made of the last thread.
I believe that most of what people believe is total bullshit.
I believe in not being a dick. That’s pretty much the sum-total of my moral philosophy. Every time I have an ethical quandary, I think, friedo, don’t be a dick. And then I do the thing that is not dickish.
You’re absolutely right, and thanks for the clarification.
There is no implicit “positive belief” in atheism.
It’s explicit.
I thought it was clear from our exchange in the other thread, but fair enough.
Still with this? You are still expecting atheists to form some kind of uniform philosophy? The conclusion you’ve drawn here is that atheists need a theme song and “coherent ideas” in common?
Atheism is not a belief system. Atheists have nothing in common besides the lack of a belief in gods.
I, among many others, have explained this to the best of my ability. At this point, either you are physically or intellectually incapable of understanding what atheism is, or you’re being dishonest.
Belief in what, exactly?
Because this is a direct response to another thread questioning whether atheists believe in anything. Asking “everybody” makes it a seek-and-find for the atheists’ answers.
Let’s see, where to start:
I believe in the Golden Rule.
I believe that 99% of people regardless of culture want mostly the same things; food, shelter, safety, someone to love and grow old with, maybe raise a family, to feel useful and wanted, and to leave this world knowing that it was a better place for having had them in it. I believe that in many cases, religion puts unnecessary roadblocks in the way of pursuit of these things, but I also believe that trying to convince people en masse to put aside those roadblocks is a fool’s errand.
I believe in working for justice in this world, because there will be none in an afterlife. All those starving kids on TV commercials? They will have no reward in heaven for their suffering; the only relief they will have will come on this Earth. We are obligated to solve our problems, because we are the only help we have.
I believe in the Serenity Prayer, without the God parts.
I believe I’ll have another drink
Abbott & Costello
How droll.
There are atheist organizations that hold meetings and talk about atheist ideas.
No, I don’t have their phone number.
Not what pchaos is talking about-see other thread for details…but bring some asprin.
What’s this “we” shit, kemosabe?
And what ideas in this thread (aside from the flippant answers) are you finding incoherent?
And what do YOU think we should be trying to do, anyway? As a self described theist, why are you so intent on getting atheists to band together, advertise and spread the atheist word?
I believe we will be needing a designated driver.